Spray tanning-thinking of giving it up

[carlytaylor1986]

Ok, so here's the deal.

I have recently changed to St Tropez tanning, now not saying before that I had lots of clients with my other tan solution as I didn't. Here's the problem, I do shellac and tanning. Shellac is quite busy, I have done probably around 30-40 sets since starting my mobile business around 3 months ago. Not great but not bad as I work full time too. With the spray tanning, I have done my auntie, my cousin, a private lady for full body and a private lady for legs only. So this is 3.5 spray tans I've done in 3 months! I haven't had any other enquiries for it, and to be honest those two clients were in the first couple of weeks, so I haven't had any interest in at least 2.5 months and was thinking of scrapping it and just doing it for family and concentrating on the shellac for now? Also, the lady who I did the legs, i have done them twice, first time with my old solution, second time with st tropez, the second time she said she may get a full body the week after and haven't heard from her since as I said, I work full time and don't rely on the cash from this, it's just my hobby and I love doing nails and I do find spray tanning a bit tiring putting up the tent, cleaning it, spraying someone etc etc, it's a bit more of a faff than nails. SO was thinking of giving it up? What do you think? sorry for long post x

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

Have you tried doing promo offers for the tans on their own with current clients? money off etc?

 

[carlytaylor1986]

Have you tried doing promo offers for the tans on their own with current clients? money off etc?

Hello. Yes I have done promo offers £5 off spray tans in May, and didn't get one client! I don't want to be doing them cheap as chips though as St Tropez solution is so expensive!

I offer the original tan at £20 a full body and the dark at £25 as the dark is more expensive than the original!

I think with st tropez you have to really look after your tan for it to last as it only lasts 2-3 days max. but the thing i like about it is that it has great fading, yes it may only last that long but you generally only want it for a night or a day and every other tan i have used that lasts longer has awful fade-off. so i think that's what's going on here.

I am thinking of maybe selling my extractor fan and one bottle of solution, keeping the darker one as i feel that lasts a little longer and maybe just charging a little extra for spray tanning, but then my business cards are printed. oh lord i dont know what to do x

 

[JenBella]

I think you should try some new solutions... Not all tans have bad fade off and certainly the ones I use dont so it's worth doing that before giving up...edit to add that tans I decided against were either orangey, too smelly or patchy fade off but there are great brands out there.
From a client point of view I would be pretty unhappy if my tan only lasted a couple of days and with the amount of great solutions out there there really is no reason to settle for less than the best.
I get your point re people wanting the tan for an event or night out but that's the difference between us and Sally Hansen...professional tans should last at least a week so clients get value for money. Proper pre and after care should be followed as well.
Don't give up :hug:

 

[Nails<3]

Hello. Yes I have done promo offers £5 off spray tans in May, and didn't get one client! I don't want to be doing them cheap as chips though as St Tropez solution is so expensive!

I offer the original tan at £20 a full body and the dark at £25 as the dark is more expensive than the original!

I think with st tropez you have to really look after your tan for it to last as it only lasts 2-3 days max. but the thing i like about it is that it has great fading, yes it may only last that long but you generally only want it for a night or a day and every other tan i have used that lasts longer has awful fade-off. so i think that's what's going on here.

I am thinking of maybe selling my extractor fan and one bottle of solution, keeping the darker one as i feel that lasts a little longer and maybe just charging a little extra for spray tanning, but then my business cards are printed. oh lord i dont know what to do x

As a tanner and tannee(is that even a word lol) I don't want my tan lasting 2-3 days max. If I'm paying £20.00 for a spray tan I expect it last between 5-7 days. Your wrong also with tans that last longer has bad fade off. I have been using la tan for the last year and not one complaint with the fade off as its great.

From my point of view,my clients don't want to have to "really look after tan" they moisturise as they would do everyday but don't have to do anything strenuous to keep the tan looking good. What do you mean by really look after?

I think you should maybe offer a different solution,one that lasts longer. Spray tanning is a massive part of my business apart from shellac it's my bread and butter. It sounds like you don't really have the heart in spray tanning which is why you aren't really promoting it that well etc. I find spray tanning so quicker,easier and makes more money than doing nails as I'm in and out within 20 mins for one person. I sprayed 4 people yesterday at the same house and and I was there for 30 mins and make the same amount of money as I would if doing 2 sets of shellac which would take me 60-70 mins. X x

 

[carlytaylor1986]

I get all of your points so thank you im just really not sure what to do. I am a st tropez fake tan fan and I absolutely love it on myself and wouldn't use anything else, hence me choosing to offer it as I wanted to promote the spray tan i use! i dont think i have the heart in it to be honest. I absolutely love doing shellac though. I am also looking into a career change (my permanent job) and if I go for the job I am hoping to get, it will be early starts and late evenings, maybe only 4 days a week though so I was thinking of maybe just doing nails the days I would be off x

 

[tiggerlady]

Ive been doing therapy(beauty and holistic) and tanning for 2 years now, and Ive found it seems to be a case of 'all or nothing'! Ive had quiet times where Ive had no clients for anything at all for months ( I dont really advertise, only word of mouth at the moment..) and then suddenly everyone comes out of the woodwork!! At the moment spray tanning is getting manic!

I use Nouvatan and everyone has returned at some point for another one, and now clients are referring me to their friends too, so perhaps it may be an idea to try another solution, as suggested, as a 're-launch', and see if that gets you any further business? If its a more cost-effective solution, you could reduce the price a little perhaps?? Or introductory discount...?

Also, perhaps you could give your nail clients a money-off voucher for a tan within a certain time scale? They would be very happy as you are giving them something free!! (as such..lol)

As said previously, tanning is a very good business to be in,( time taken, product cost etc) and I think you could make it work well for you with a bit of tweaking.. good luck..xxx

 

[carlytaylor1986]

Ive been doing therapy(beauty and holistic) and tanning for 2 years now, and Ive found it seems to be a case of 'all or nothing'! Ive had quiet times where Ive had no clients for anything at all for months ( I dont really advertise, only word of mouth at the moment..) and then suddenly everyone comes out of the woodwork!! At the moment spray tanning is getting manic!

I use Nouvatan and everyone has returned at some point for another one, and now clients are referring me to their friends too, so perhaps it may be an idea to try another solution, as suggested, as a 're-launch', and see if that gets you any further business? If its a more cost-effective solution, you could reduce the price a little perhaps?? Or introductory discount...?

Also, perhaps you could give your nail clients a money-off voucher for a tan within a certain time scale? They would be very happy as you are giving them something free!! (as such..lol)

As said previously, tanning is a very good business to be in,( time taken, product cost etc) and I think you could make it work well for you with a bit of tweaking.. good luck..xxx

Thank you for your reply has helped me! I would ultimately like a "one tan fits all" as I find it a right old faff changing solutions etc. Maybe even one with a normal and a dark like st stropez? i have spent SO long though finding a solution and thought st tropez was it as I am in love with it so much! I will have a look at others. Thanks for your help x

 

[JenBella]

To offer a decent experience and result for clients you need to trial a few new tans. Solutions aren't one size fits all, same way as clients aren't all the same so your job as a professional is to use the correct solution on them. It's not really 'faff' to have different solutions, you only have to decide which is best and screw the cup onto the machine. You don't need a loads of different % in stock, light medium and dark is all, so like 8,10,12 or if your clients want an even darker look go for 14.
Whilst you might love st tropez, clients paying for tans won't love it if it doesn't last and it won't inspire them to return.
It really sounds like you aren't bothered nor enjoying it, even in your first post it sounds like an effort for you to pop up the tent etc.
financially tanning is a great income but you have to want to do it and repeat clients only come when they are impressed with your work. Shellac is also a big one for me and I often combine the two into a deal...it's extra money for very little time in adding in a tan and they both work very well together.
Have a read through the numerous threads on here re diff solutions and get a feel for what's out there. Leave aside the love for st tropez and focus on this from a business point of view...it could become a great earner for you. You already have nail clients so why not be the one to do their tans as well.

 

[carlytaylor1986]

To offer a decent experience and result for clients you need to trial a few new tans. Solutions aren't one size fits all, same way as clients aren't all the same so your job as a professional is to use the correct solution on them. It's not really 'faff' to have different solutions, you only have to decide which is best and screw the cup onto the machine. You don't need a loads of different % in stock, light medium and dark is all, so like 8,10,12 or if your clients want an even darker look go for 14.
Whilst you might love st tropez, clients paying for tans won't love it if it doesn't last and it won't inspire them to return.
It really sounds like you aren't bothered nor enjoying it, even in your first post it sounds like an effort for you to pop up the tent etc.
financially tanning is a great income but you have to want to do it and repeat clients only come when they are impressed with your work. Shellac is also a big one for me and I often combine the two into a deal...it's extra money for very little time in adding in a tan and they both work very well together.
Have a read through the numerous threads on here re diff solutions and get a feel for what's out there. Leave aside the love for st tropez and focus on this from a business point of view...it could become a great earner for you. You already have nail clients so why not be the one to do their tans as well.

Thanks for your post. I mean I do enjoy tanning, when I don't have to lug everything around. I use an extractor and am really wondering whether it's necessary for one tan, it's so heavy! I have tried countless tanning solutions, nouvatan, sienna x, sunless solutions, trinita, st tropez, and many more but I just can't think of their names and have STILL not found the right one. It's a bit tiring working full time then doing nails and trying to find a solution that works great with everyone. And then studying on top of that. And as I am having such a hard time finding a solution, I was thinking to cut down the pressure perhaps just not offer the tan. It's not that I can be bothered it's that I am finding it hard finding the time. I am thinking of trying Tan Solutions (formerly Sun Laboratories) as I used to use this in my old salon and it was quite a nice tan. They have a fair/medium and a dark/very dark. So just the two solutions, I've asked for a sample x

 

[JenBella]

I know, lugging everything round is tiring but one thing I make sure of is being organised, smaller bottles of the solution rather than full litres. I have a box with my machine, solutions and disposables in it and then my tent is also in a bag so I'm only carrying two things. Tent pops up, towel in bottom, plug in machine and go.
Nouvatan have a great rep, I've not sampled them though. Look at vita liberata- they are a fab tan and come in 3 colours light med and dark and have retail op as well. I didn't like sun labs at all...it's funny how different people find a solution. I use bronze leaf and decadence and get nothing but positive responses on them, no fake tan smell, no orange tones and fade off is great. Decadence is long lasting and has great ingredients.
I don't use an extractor but always work in well ventilated area and am thinking of using a mask. I'm not an expert but unless you are doing tan after tan all day then is an extractor really needed?

 

[carlytaylor1986]

Thanks again for your reply

I am seriously thinking of getting rid of the extractor as the first client I went to, the bag was so heavy I nearly fell over hahahahaha!!! Considering I don't do tanning parties etc. Never had any call for that. Max. I am hoping to do is 4 at a time as that's all my machine can handle x

 

[Nails<3]

Thanks again for your reply

I am seriously thinking of getting rid of the extractor as the first client I went to, the bag was so heavy I nearly fell over hahahahaha!!! Considering I don't do tanning parties etc. Never had any call for that. Max. I am hoping to do is 4 at a time as that's all my machine can handle x

You def won't be needing an extractor fan. The fan is more for people who do tan after tan or spray tan parties so that's 1 thing you could lose that would not have any effect. X